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#1
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Kodak, six twenty folding camera
I have a problem with a camera given to me by my late father, a Kodak six twenty folding camera, possibly about circa 1937 or there about.
It was his stepmothers originally. The camera is in reasonable order but required a general clean. With the camera in the folded position and the film door opened, I can gain access to the rear of the lens\shutter assembly. It is a simple matter of unscrewing the rear lens element. Now for my problem, the shutter does not work. having stripped and clean many cameras of different types I find when this happens the lubricant usually has dried and gone sticky preventing the activation of the shutter mechanism. I have been unable to work out how to access the mechanism from the front of the lens. Does anyone know how or have experience in this, I have looked at you tube but no luck. I would really like to have the camera working and be able to use it. Last edited by BorninTassy; 14th January 2020 at 04:07 AM. Reason: spelling mistake |
#2
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Kodak 620
I too have one of these but not used it for years or even decades. It belonged to my father but when he bought it I have absolutely no idea. Certainly it was pre-war becauseI have a number of photographs of him and my mother before they were married in 1937.
The front plate covering the mechanism appear to be held in place with tiny brass rivets so getting it off may well be impossible and also undesirable. It may be that the shutter working also depends upon the front plate being in place to support the spring to fire the shutter. Possibly if you take the plate off and you will have a small pile of bits which you man not be able to fit back together! As you have found the rear element of the lens unscrews (there are only 2 elements) On mine the front element unscrews as well. so you could try rinsing it out with a solvent cleaner spray. I know it sound brutal and crude but if you go to a motor accessory shop you should be able to buy a can of 'brake and clutch cleaner'. This is a solvent which will dissolve stubborn grease and remove dirt at the same time. It does not leave any residue. If you don't fancy that, using a medical type syringe with a thin tube on the end fill the syringe with Isopropyl alcohol which will do the same job. You can buy the alcohol at RS Components. Like the brake cleaner it evaporates quickly and leaves no residue. It will not damage things like the bellows which may be leather or leatherette or a similar material. |
#3
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Thank you for your advice, John.
The syringe with Isopropyl alcohol seems the way to go. Now that you have given me some insight about the front element, I should be able it. Since it unscrews I can us a small rubber sink stopper of pencil eraser to gain a grip on the outer ring on the element, unscrew it,clean and lubricate with a syringe. |
#4
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Cleaning the shutter
I think you may be surprised (shocked) by the amount of dirt that is rinsed out of the shutter/lens mount.
The internals on my camera shutter are jammed and it will not work except on the 'T.' setting so it is just an ornament/family heirloom now - a link to my late parents. As you have found out it is impossible without specialist knowledge to gain access to the internals of the shutter |
#5
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I would be cautious about using brake cleaners. Some of them contain pretty aggressive solvents. They used to contain chlorinated compounds, but I think those were phased out due to health concerns. Still, using a spray can of this stuff on a camera with painted finishes, leather bellows, and glued-on covering might do more damage than good.
I suggest starting with a spray can of electrical contact cleaner. Most of those are simply methyl hydrate in aerosol form. Much less aggressive, and won't strip finishes, etc. Read the label for ingredients. I've used this stuff on quite a few shutters, including old folders....works great. Another option is lighter fluid in a squirt bottle. That's the most common agent for rinsing and soaking shutters. I don't think you can get it in aerosol form. You might start with this...give the shutter a good overnight soaking, lather, rinse, repeat, then blast it with aerosol contact cleaner to drive the dirt out. In any case, as John suggests, take the glass elements out, and by all means if you can remove the entire lens board and shutter assembly from the body then you should do that. Avoids all your spray and rinsed out guck filling the inside of the bellows and film chamber and attacking the body covering. Hope this helps...
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Regards, Svend |
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update on stripdown
I have had a closer look at the lens and fond that it has a screw in pin on the outer ring, I unscrewed this and it allow me to remove the outer ring.
This allowed me access to the front element which I unscrewed, exposing the intermediate lens and fascia washer with the f stops and shutter speed graduations on it. Removing the intermediate lens by unscrewing it exposed a round plate and the shutter workings. My step grandmother must have loved taking photos with this camera, She has worn it out. when you depress the shutter lever it activates a second lever, which in turn activates a third lever, there is considerable wear between levers two and three, leading to poor to no contact, thus failing to activate the shutter leaves. To solve this problem I am going to remove lever two and drill a hole in the area of wear and fit a small pin in it and the same with lever three in the area that lever two contacts it. Reassemble this should allow me to activate the shutter . I have a roll of outdated 120 film to test the camera for light leaks. |
#7
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While you have it open, I would still recommend a good solvent flush of the shutter and aperture blades to get all the gunk out. You wouldn't want to do all that work only to find the speeds are off.
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Regards, Svend |
#8
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Kodak 620 folding camera
I have finally finished the adjustments, clean and lube on my folding camera.
Both shutter speeds, 50 and 25 seem to work OK. There does not appear to be any light leaks. The only thing left to do is tidy up the leather covering and modify a couple of 120 film reels and put some 120 film on one. Developing the film will have to wait until I complete my darkroom, till then I can not wait so it is helping me speed up on the darkroom. |
#9
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This one made me chuckle -- here I am banging away about accurate shutter speeds, forgetting that many of these pre-war cameras only had one or two speeds to begin with.
Great that you got it working. Have fun with it!
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Regards, Svend |
#10
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4 shutter setting on camera
Svend, These cameras were pretty hi-tec for their time, not only a two shutter speeds but (B) bulb and (T) time, bulb being common with most cameras but (T) time was one I had not come across before. It functions by pressing the shutter lever and the shutter stay open till you repress the shutter lever, it saves you standing there holding the shutter down on long exposures.
Looking at the limited film speeds available at the time, you can see why the fitted it to the camera. |
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